Warning Track

The warning track ( dt: warning stripes ) is the peripheral marginal portion of a baseball field between the grassy field and the wall or the fence of the field boundary. It serves to ensure that a outfielder who runs towards the fence and while looking at the approaching from behind ball does not hit without warning against the fence.

Not every baseball field has such a strip. However, in most professional leagues, he is one of the Platzbauauflagen, but also for international competitions ( European Championships, World Cup) is the warning track prescribed. In amateur leagues such as in Germany, the warning strip is mostly involved in the new space to meet the discharge of European competitions the conditions.

The nature and the material used are different from the turf. The surface is usually made of a sand grain or small ( from 0.1 to 0.4 mm particle size), such as threshing floor covering. The color schemes vary from bright red through orange to dark gray.

The different texture and color helps the fielders in pursuit of a fly ball, to keep their focus on the ball and at the same time perceive the proximity to Feldbegrenzug, making painful collisions are prevented by the outer fence.

The strip is also used as road maintenance equipment and vehicles so as not to damage the lawn.

The width and depth of the strip varies depending on the baseball field: In general, a width of three running steps of a fielder is scheduled. Common dimensions start at two meters in the student leagues and increase to up to five meters in the highest professional leagues.

Origin

The idea of ​​the warning track has its origin from the Yankee Stadium in New York. In order to prevent as well as athletics events at the stadium, a running track was installed originally. The baseball players were quick to recognize the benefits of career for their game and soon each had its own stadium warning track.

It is often to see how Outfielder run against the outfield wall to catch a ball. The reasons are varied: Sometimes the outfielder does not perceive the warning close to limit or he tries in his sporting ambition to also catch balls short of the wall. For this reason, the outfield limits are usually provided with a padding.

Warning -track power is used as a derogatory remark towards players that beat Although a wide fly ball, which but just before the outer boundary in the glove box of the opponent lands, rather than to cross the fence home run.